Commutator



May 5, 1925. 1,536,328

L. cARUso COMMUTATOR Filed March 31 1925 ,L l In 1| I man I iv ,lll

INVENTOR I BY I I ATTORN E Y8 Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TO THE LIONEL CORPORA- OF NEW YORK.

COMMUTATOR.

Application filed March 31, 1923. Serial No. 628,973.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LOUIS CARUSO, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Irvington, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Commutators, ofwhich the following is a speclficatlon.

This invention relates to commutators and is more particularly directedto a disk-type commutator suitable for use in small motors operating atcomparatively low speeds, and a method of making the same. 7

There is a considerable demand for such motors for use as a toy or foran operating mechanism for toys, and the like. These motors are to beoperated from a low potential circuit, usually dry batteries, ortransformers and it is unnecessary for them to operate at high speed.One can therefore design a commutator for motors of thls type withoutreinforcing it to take care of centrifugal force attained at high speed,and without insulating it for commercial lighting circuit potentials.Furthermore as these devices must be sold at a comparatively low priceit is desirable to make them as cheaply as possible and yet have themgive satisfactory service.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide acommutatorpreferably of the disk typewhich may be made at a low priceand yet be serviceable.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved arrangement ofinsulating material, an improved arrangement of armature leads, animproved mounting for the commutator, and an improved method ofmanufacturing the commutator.

In the accompanying drawings there 1s shown, for purposes ofillustration, one of the many possible embodiments in which theinvention may take form. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a rotor with commutator mounted adjacentthe armature.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the parts of the commutator.

Fig. 3 is a view of the exposed or working face of the commutator, and

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the commutator.

As shown in Figure 1, the rotor has a shaft 10, armature core 11,armature windings 12, and a commutator 13. The resent invention relatesto the latter, while the armature and armature coils may be of anystandard type, those shown here being merely for purposes ofillustration.

The supporting structure for the commutator segments, as herein shown,includes two disks 14 and 15, both of which are preferably made ofinsulating material. The disks 14 and 15 are each provided with centralapertures 16 and 17 and with a plurality of regularly spaced rivet holes18 and 19, the number of rivet holes de ending upon the number ofsegments of the commutator. The insulating disk 15 is provided with anumber of regularly spaced radial fins 20, 21 and 22 which extend fromnear the central hole 17 out toward the outer periphery of the disk.Commutator seg ments 23 are provided of a proper size to fit in thespace between the fins, these segments having apertures 24 so located asto be in line with the apertures 18 and 19 in the insulating disks.

A hollow rivet 25, preferably provided with a comparatively large head26, is passed through the holes 16 and 17 and riveted over on to thedisk 15 as shown at 27 in Fig. 3. This rivet serves to hold theinsulating parts together and also as a mounting for the commutator onthe shaft 10. A plurality of smaller rivets 28 is also provided theserivets being of the proper size to pass through holes 18, 19 and 24. Therivets are passed through these holes, the heads of the rivets abuttingthe rear face of the disk 14, while the small ends of the rivets areriveted over on to the faces of the segments 24. After these rivetingoperations have been carried out the contact surfaces of the commutatorsegments and ex posed rivets may be turned down and polished so thatproper contact may be made with the brushes.

As here shown the insulating disk 15 is of the same outside diameter asthe disk 14 and is shown as having cut-away portions 29 which extend ashort distance underneath the outer edges of the commutator segments,more clearly shown in Fig. 1. The disk 14 is provided with a pluralityof pairs of holes 30 and 31 each pair of holes being ad- .jacent one ofthe rivet holes 18. These holes are so located that they are ver closetothe outer edge of the correspon in commutator segment so thatarmaturelea s may p ying a drop of solder 33 as shown in Fig.

1. The ends of the loop of wire provides the two leads for connectingeach commutator segment with the armature coils so that the armaturecircuit may be properly completed after the commutatorhas been mountedon the rotor shaft. This mount. ing may be easily carried out by havinga proper size so that a pressed fit may be obtained by forcing thecommutator over the shaft 10. As it is desirable to properly locate thecommutator relative to the armature, for example, to provide room formaking the connections, and for an insulating. sheet to insulate therivets 28- from the armature, the rivet is provided with a comparativelylarge head 26 which acts as a spacer to position the commutator.

The commutator which has now been described is one which has been foundto be susceptible of quantity production at low cost, and one whichoperates in an entirely" satisfactory manner on the type of motor forwhich it is designed. Furthermore, it is easy to assemble the commutatorand other parts of the rotor and then make the connections, which may beaccomplished by merely soldering the leads together. The insulatingsupport may be made up of a single piece, of insulating material insteadof two pieces as described, and the disk 15 may, if desired, be of thesame diameter as the outside of the commutator segments.

I claim:

1. A commutator comprising a fiat insulating disk havingradial fins onone face and an aperture between each of the fins, commutator segments,and rivets passing through the segments and apertures to fasten thesegments against the face'of the disk with their ends engaging the fins,the fins preventing the. twisting of the commutator segments on therivets.

2. In a commutator, a supporting disk having a plurality of holestherein for rivets for the commutator segments, and a pair of holesadjacent: each rivet hole wherebya pair of leads may be introduced foreach commutator segment. 4

3. In a commutator, an insulating disk having a plurality of integralradial fins on one face. v

5 4. In a commutator, an insulating disk the hole 34 in the hollow.rivet 26 of "respective armature lead.

having a plurality of integral radial fins on Ellie face and rivet holesintermediate the A.- commutator having a supporting disk, an; insulatingdisk having a plurality "of integral radial fins .on one side,commutator segments, and rivets, each rivet pass- 7 ing through acommutator segment and both disks to fasten the commutator. segment tothe outside face of the insulating disk with the ends of the segmentsengaging the fins;

6. In a commutator,-a disk-shaped insulating support, and commutatorsegments carried on one face of the support, the support extendingbeyond the commutator segment, the extendin portion of the support beingprovided wit a pair of holes adjacent each commutator segment for thepurpose of 'permittmg the ready attachment of the 'f. In a commutator, adisk-shaped insulating support, commutator segments carried on one faceof the support, the support extending beyond the commutator segments,theextending portion of the support being provided with a pair of holes.adjacent eath commutator segment, and a wire looped through the holesof each pair and soldered to the commutator segment.

8. A commutator having a supporting disk, an insulating disk, a hollowrivet passing through both disks to fasten them tightly togethenandcommutator segments carried on the exposed surface of the insulatingdisk, the hollow rivet forming a bushing for mounting the commutator ona shaft.

9. In a commutatora disk-shaped insulating support, a hollow rivetpassing through the center of the support, said rivet having aprojecting head, whereby the support may be spaced along a shaft passingthrough the hollow rivet.

10. A commutator having a disk-shaped insulating support, commutatorsegments carried on one face thereof, and a hollow rivet passing throughthe center of the support, said rivet having a head projecting from theopposite face of the support to space it along a shaft passing throughthe hollow rivet.

11. In a commutator an insulating mem-. 115 ber, commutator segmentsmounted on one side thereof, there being a pair of apertures in themember adjacent each commutator segment, and a wire threaded through theholes and connected with the commutator 4 mature leads passing throughthe holes, each lead being soldered to a commutator segsupport to brinthe leads close to the segment. v ments, and sol ering them to,theirrespec- 10 13. The method of making a commutator tlve commutatorsegments.

which comprises riveting commutator seg- Signed at Irvington in thecounty of Esmcnts alongside one face of an insulating Sex nd State OfNew Jersey this 25th day of disk-like support with the outer edge of theMarch, 1 23- scgmonts adjacent holes in the'support passing armatureleads through the holes in the LOUIS CARUSO.

